Flowable substances are applied to many products, such as consumer products, during their manufacture. The flowable substances may comprise fluids, slurries, and/or suspensions, for example. The flowable substances may be applied to finished products, raw materials, or intermediate stage materials or products (i.e., partially finished materials or products) for various reasons.
The products that the flowable substances are being applied to may dictate the particular methods and applicator assemblies used for flowable substance application. One example flowable substance application method is spraying the flowable substance onto a product. In this instance, an assembly, such as a spray nozzle, may be employed.
Various cleaning articles, or portions thereof, are one example consumer product that may require flowable substance application during their manufacture. These cleaning articles may be used for dusting and light cleaning, for example, or for other purposes. Cleaning articles, such as disposable dusters, have been developed which have limited re-usability. These disposable dusters may comprise brush portions made of synthetic fiber bundles, called tow fibers, attached to one or more layers of material, such as one or more layers of a nonwoven material. In other instances, the tow fibers may be attached to a rigid material or plate. The disposable cleaning articles may be used for one job (e.g., several square meters of surface) and discarded, or may be restored and re-used for more jobs and then discarded.
Portions of, or all of, the consumer products may be coated with one or more flowable substances. In one instance, portions of substrates, or bundles or strips of tow fibers, of consumer products may be coated with the flowable substances or have the flowable substances applied thereto. The flowable substances may help the cleaning articles attract and pick-up dust and/or dirt, for example. One key to applying the flowable substances to consumer products is to provide the correct amount (i.e., not too much or too little). Another key aspect is to provide a substantially uniform amount of the flowable substance to a substrate. Previous flowable substance application methods and assemblies have generally been unable to properly apply a suitable amount of the flowable substances in a substantially uniform fashion. What is needed are methods and applicator assemblies for applying flowable substances to substrates, such as substrates comprising tow fibers, for example, in the correct amount and in a substantially uniform fashion.